Written Answers Thursday 6 April 2006

Scottish Executive

Fire Service

Cathie Craigie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to provide a replacement radio system for the fire and rescue service.

Cathy Jamieson: I am pleased to announce that, having considered a number of options, we have decided to participate in Firelink, the GB-wide procurement of a replacement radio system for the Fire and Rescue Service, subject to finalisation of the necessary contractual and inter-administration arrangements. This will represent a sustained and significant investment by the Executive in the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, and will provide the Service with a state-of-the-art digital wide area radio system.

  The new system will replace the ageing analogue systems currently in use across the country, and will provide inter-operability both between the fire and rescue services and with the police radio system. This will be a significant improvement in communications between different services both within Scotland and on a cross-border basis.

  The new system will require a huge amount of work, including upgrades to some of the control room equipment currently in use. We will need to consider how this can best be implemented.

Scottish Enterprise

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-22919 by Nicol Stephen on 22 February 2006, what provision has been made for consultation with all MSPs by Scottish Enterprise regarding the local impact of proposed changes.

Nicol Stephen: I refer the member to the question S2W-22919 answered on 22 February 2006. As indicated Scottish Enterprise has sought to hear the views of MSPs through the appropriate committee and taken those into account in shaping its proposals on structural change.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Scottish Executive Funding

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what grant assistance Forscot has received from (a) Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and (b) other public bodies in respect of a proposed integrated pulp mill, paper mill, chemical plant, bio-energy scheme, rail heads and sawmill in Invergordon; whether the Executive will consult HIE and Forestry Commission Scotland before any further grant is paid to Forscot and, if not, whether it is satisfied that a proposed consumption by the project of nearly four million tonnes of timber per annum can be achieved without any significant displacement of jobs and businesses in the sawmill and timber processing sectors; whether the Executive will seek a detailed report from HIE and Forestry Commission Scotland about the proposed project, and whether it will consult existing businesses in the sawmill and processing sectors in respect of the impact of the project on their businesses.

Nicol Stephen: Forestry Commission Scotland has granted Forscot £10,000 towards studies of the pulping properties of Scots pine and Sitka spruce. Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and Scottish Enterprise (SEn) have contributed towards Phase 1 of the project’s feasibility study.

  Any future grant assistance from HIE and other public bodies to Forscot is a matter for the funding organisations concerned. It is for HIE to assess any application to them from the company for further support in accordance with the requirements of the management statement between them and the Scottish Executive. Consideration of the impact on existing businesses would form part of any such assessment.

  The Executive has no plans to seek a report on the Forscot proposal from Highlands and Islands Enterprise or The Forestry Commission Scotland, and no plans to consult with existing sawmill and processing businesses regarding the company’s project.